This invention relates to an improvement in the process of making 1:1 zinc and 1:1 manganese complexes with alpha amino acids, particularly methionine. In that sense, it represents an improvement over the processes disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,941,818 issued Mar. 2, 1976, entitled "1:1 ZINC METHIONINE COMPLEXES" and 3,950,372 issued Apr. 13, 1976, and entitled "1:1 MANGANESE ALPHA AMINO ACID COMPLEXES".
Both of the previously issued patents relate to the 1:1 complexed salts per se, and to general processes for preparing the same. The novel salts have as expressed in the earlier issued patents, the useful feature of being highly body absorbable nutritional supplements for both animals and humans to provide readily available sources of zinc ions on the one hand, and manganese ions on the other hand.
In the commercial preparation of these 1:1 metal amino acid complexes, there have been from time to time certain problems in solubilizing the precursor salts and the alpha amino acid, both of which exist in solid powdered form. As a result, even though the salts are theoretically highly soluble in water, the amount of necessary mixing to assure substantial dissolving (even at elevated temperatures) in order to provide the necessary intimate contact for adequate reacting between the two to form 1:1 complexes of the zinc and/or manganese and the alpha amino acid is quite excessive. Thus, there has been an inherent problem in the preparation technique, both from the standpoint of the very practical problem of adequate dissolving even in hot water, and also the problem of assuring that the product is substantially all the desired 1:1 complexes.
Accordingly, there has been a real and a continuing need for the discovery of process improvements which allows the ready dissolving of the initial precursor reactants or ingredients, and which will simultaneously assure product yield in high amounts of the desired 1:1 complexes of the metal ions and the alpha amino salts.
This invention has as its primary objective the fulfillment of this need in order that the 1:1 manganese alpha amino acid complexes of U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,372 and the 1:1 zinc alpha amino acid complexes of U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,818, may be prepared easily without long process delays and in high yield of the desired 1:1 complexes.
For details of desirability and utility of 1:1 manganese alpha amino acid complexes, see the previously referred to U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,372 which is incorporated herein by reference. For details of desirability and utility of 1:1 zinc alpha amino acid complexes, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,818 which is incorporated herein by reference.
The method of accomplishing each of the objectives of this invention will become apparent from the detailed decription of the invention which follows hereinafter.